Dad pens excruciating open letter after learning of his son's death in conference room

Summer Woolley & Sam Hussey

Published: 08/09/2019Updated: 8 September 2019 4:21 pm

Missing girl reunited

The Storment family. Credit: Supplied

“Wiley is dead."

They were the three words that sent J.R Storment’s world crashing down – they came over the phone as he stood in a conference room with a dozen other people.

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In an excruciating open letter titled 'It's later than you think', the tech executive from Portland revealed the moment he found out his bright and talented young son, a twin, had been found dead in his room.

The night before he was discovered, the eight-year-old had complained that he couldn't sleep.

Storment tucked him in - oblivious that it would be the last moment the pair would spend together.

J.R Storment's world came crashing down when his young son was found dead in his room. Credit: J.R Storment/LinkedIn

He was at work the following morning, walking into a conference room when he received the call from Jess.

"I was still walking through the door when I answered with 'Hey, what’s up?'," he recalled.

'J.R., Wiley is dead.'

"Her reply was icy and immediate: 'J.R., Wiley is dead.'

“'What?! No.” I yelled out, “No!”

“'I’m so sorry, I have to call 911.'"

"That was the entire conversation. The next thing I know I’m sprinting out the front door of the office with my car keys in hand, running ferociously across the street and muttering “oh Fuck. oh Fuck. oh Fuck.”.

"Half way down the block I realise I don’t have the opener to my parking garage. Running back into the lobby, I all but shout “Someone drive me! Somebody drive me!” Thankfully, a helpful colleague did."

Twin boys Wiley and Oliver playing. Credit: Supplied

He rushed home but a growing crime scene dominating his home meant he was forced to wait a 'painful' 2.5 hours before he could see his son.

Eventually, Storment had waited long enough and went in.

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"What happened, buddy?"

"An eerie calm came over me. I laid down next to him in the bed that he loved, held his hand and kept repeating, 'What happened, buddy? What happened?'”

"We stayed next to him for maybe 30 minutes and stroked his hair before they returned with a gurney to take him away. I walked him out, holding his hand and his forehead through the body bag as he was wheeled down our driveway.

"The Medical Examiner later estimated he had been dead for at least 8-10 hours by the time she found him, indicating he passed early in the night."

An entry from Wiley's diary, discovered after his death. Credit: J.R Storment/LinkedIn

Storment explains Wiley had been diagnosed with Benign Rolandic Epilepsy - a mild form of epilepsy common in boys between 8-13.

He had only experienced a single seizure, more than nine months before his death.

The family had been told he had the "best" type of epilepsy.

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"Sometimes you end up the statistic"

"All of the multiple pediatricians and neurologists with whom we discussed his condition said there was little to be concerned about.

The "unpredictable, unpreventable, and irreversible" shuts down the brain.

"Statistically, it was highly unlikely to hit our son: 1 out of 4,500 children with epilepsy are affected.

"Sometimes you end up the statistic"

'It's later than you think'

The twins had been born the same month Storment had co-founded Cloudability.

He now realises he hadn't taken more than a contiguous week off in more than eight years - a fact he did not shy away from.

"Over the last three weeks I have come up with an endless stream of things I regret. They tend to fall into two categories: things I wish I had done differently and things I’m sad not to see him do," he wrote.

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'I’ve learned to stop waiting to do the things the kids ask for.'

"I hope from this tragedy you consider how you prioritise your own time."

He ends the letter: "I’ve learned to stop waiting to do the things the kids ask for."

"While I sat writing this post, my living son, Oliver, came in to ask for screen time.

"Instead of saying the usual ‘no’, I stopped writing and asked if I could play with him. He was happily surprised by my answer and we connected in a way I would have formerly missed out on.